Vacuum caponizing instrument



June 12, 1945.

c. c; FULKERSON VACUUM CAPONIZING INSTRUMENT Filed July 30, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l By M , QN kw mN v m A N QM, e w\ N? M .w. v BN v a v 0 m M NM 6 W N\ e M C m NN June 12, 1945. c FULKER SQN I 2,378,137

I VACUUM CAPONIZING INSTRUMENT Filed July :50. 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor mlcr sow June 1945- c. c. FULKERSON ,1 7

VI KCUUM CAPONI Z ING I NSTRUMENT Filed July 30, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n a wies C. FwZZens oz'v y Q Patented June 12, 1945 y UNITED STATE s FATENT OFFICE VACUUM CAPONIZING INSTRUMENT Charles C. Fulkerson, Lake City, Iowa, assignor of one-third to'Bernard L. .Willis, Menlo Calif.

Park,

. Application July 30,'1943,'SerialNo'. 496,772

4 Claims. (01.128-306) This invention relates to new and useful ime provements in instruments for operating on chickens to produce capons; n

"The principal object of the present invention is to provide amechanical instrument incorporating the use of both vacuum and air pressure for the,

Figure 1 represents a sideelevational view of the instrument. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view through the control portion of the'instrument. Figure 4 is a top plan view of the valve block.

' Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the slide valve.

, block.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the-valve which a slide valve '18 is operative. The slideway 18' has" suitable removable cleats IQ for holding L the slide valve I8 inair-tight position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the head portion of the instrument.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the head portion of the instrument.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the cutter operating means.

Figure 10 is a cross-section showing the barrier.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 denotes a body having a depending interior threaded socket 6 into which engages the upper threaded portion of a receptacle 1.

Numeral 8 denotes an elongated tubeconnected to the forward end of the body 5 by a coupling!) and this is in communication with a passageway l0 which extends downwardly through the body 5 and through a skirt H which de--' pends into the receptacle 1.

Numeral I2 denotes a valve block having upper and lower chambers l3, I4 therein. This valve The slide ,valve l8 has a pair of passageways 20', 2| therethrough' and registering with @these passageways are upper and lower nipples 20, 2| to which conduits connect and extend to the intake and exhaustsides of a suitable compressor (notshown).' W Extending laterally from 'the slidevalve i 8 is a pintle 22 which protrudes into a fork 23 carried by an arm 24. The arm. forms partof'a .bell crank 25' which is rockablysupported on one side of the block l2, the bell crank having a second arm 26 which is pivotally secured to a slide .rod 21 slidably disposed through a guide 28 on the body 5, this rod 21 having afinger ring 29. at its f war d. 1 1 At this point, let it be understood that the upper and lower chambers l3, l4 have ports 30, 3'1

to the atmosphere.

The tube 8 has a curved free end portion denoted by numeral 32 and the end 32 is cut off substantially oblique to the longitudinal axis of this end portion, as at 33, and has a spermatie cord-receiving notch 34 in a side portion thereof, that is, at a plane portion 35, over which an arcuateshaped, pivotal knife 36 operates. The knife 36 is operated by a wire 31 which passes through a tube 38 suitably secured to the tube 8 and this connects to a manually operable slide 39. A spring 40 between the slide 39 and the adjacent end of the tube 38 serves to yieldingly maintain the wire 31, knife 36 and slide 39 in normal position for operation of the knife-36 to be-swung past the notch 34 by slight movement of the slide 39 toward the left, as shown in Figure 1.

The throat of the tube 8 has a spider or barrier 4| therein to prevent the testis from being struck through the tube 8.

It can now be seen that the chicken is prepared for caponizing in the usual way by placing it on an operating table with its wings tied downand a weight 'attachedto the feet to stretch the body of the bird. The incision is made in thesame place as older methods of caponizing, but in the use of this instrument it is not necessary to make the incision as large as usual, as the operating end neither of the ports thereof communicating with I the passageway IS. The canula is inserted until Spreaders are inserted into the inthe testis is cradled or started into the mouth of the tube 8, so that by pulling back on the control trigger 29, vacuum created in the tube 8 instantly draws the testis into the tube up to the barrier M and slight pressure, by the operator, upon the slide 39 causes the knife 36 to operate to out oi the spermatic cord. This vacuum operation takes place due to the fact that the slide valve l8 has been shifted upwardly and communicates the nipple 2| with the passageway l6, that is, the tube 8 is communicated with the intake side of the compressor (not shown).

The tube 8 is now withdrawn from the body cavity with the severed testis firmly held in the end of the operating tube, by suction and by pushing the control rod 21 forwardly, air is instantly reversed through the instrument and the testis is blown completely out of the end of the tube, this due to the fact that the slide valve I8 is lowered so that the exhaust side of the compressor (not shown) is eifecting a force of air through the passageway l6, receptacle 1 and passageway l to the tube 8.

The receptacle 1 is intended to catch any body fluids or small particles that may get by the barrier 4|.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter. 7

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A caponizing instrument comprising an elongated operating tube having a testis-receiving end and a cutter for cutting off poultry tests, suction and air pressure producing means, and a manual control for either delivering air pressure to the tube or creating a suction therein to hold testes in the month end of the tube while cutting, air

pressure being employed to blow, out of the tube, the testis cut ofi therein.

2. A caponizing instrument comprising an operating tube having a testis-receiving front end and a notch at said end for receiving a spermatic cord, a knife pivoted on said tube for swinging over said notch to sever said cord, manipulative means to swing said knife at will, and means to create a vacuum and pressure in said tube alternately to draw the testis into the tube and subsequently expel the same therefrom respectively.

3. A caponizing instrument comprising an operating tube having a testis-receiving front end and a notch at said end for receiving a spermatic cord, a. knife pivoted on said tube for swinging over said notch to sever said cord, manipulative means to swing said knife at will, and means to create a vacuum and pressure in said tube alternately to draw the testis into the tube and subsequently expel the same therefrom respectively, and a barrier in said tube for preventing the testis from being drawn therethrough.

4. A caponizing instrument comprising an operating tube having a testis-receiving front end and a notch at said end for receiving a spermatic cord, a knife pivoted on said tube for swinging over said notch tosever said cord, manipulative means to swing said knife at will, and means to create a vacuum and pressure in said tube, alternately to draw the testis into the tube and subse quently expel the same therefrom, respectively comprising a slide valve at the rear end of the tube, a body having the slide valve mounted thereon, a receptacle attached to said body, and a pair of ports in said body one leading fromthe slide valve to the receptacle and the other leading from the receptacle to said rear end of the tube, said receptacle establishing communication between said ports and serving as trap for body fluid drawn throughthe tube under suction.

CHARLES C. FULKERSON. 

